"By The Numbers presented by Compass Minerals" is a season-long series that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.
After a superb stretch that saw Sporting Kansas City win three competitive matches in seven days for the first time in club history, Manager Peter Vermes' men will play for a fourth straight victory on Wednesday at Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Western Conference clash at BC Place is slated for 9:30 p.m. CT with live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, Sports Radio 810 WHB, La Grande 1340 AM and SiriusXM Channel 167.
Sporting has thus far navigated a demanding stretch of the schedule by winning four of five matches since June 29. Next up is another double matchweek as Kansas City preps to face Vancouver before hosting archrivals St. Louis City SC on Saturday night.
With palpable momentum on Sporting's side, we take a statistical look at the Vancouver matchup in our newest edition of By The Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting has a 12-7-5 record in 24 regular season meetings against Vancouver, scoring 45 goals (1.88 per match) and allowing 26 (1.08 per match).
- Sporting has a 5-4-3 regular season away record at Vancouver but hasn’t won at BC Place since Feb. 29, 2020. The Whitecaps are 2-0-1 in their last three home meetings against Sporting.
- Vancouver is 4-1-1 in the last six regular season meetings, including a 2-1 win on May 29 at Children’s Mercy Park that saw midfielder Ryan Gauld score twice for the Whitecaps before Marinos Tzionis bagged a late consolation goal for the hosts.
- Sporting has gone 7-4-3 in the last 14 meetings with Vancouver across all competitions since 2018, scoring 29 goals and conceding 11.
- Sporting is 2-0-1 in its last three regular season matches played in Canada—a 3-1 win at Toronto in March 2024, a 1-1 draw at Vancouver in June 2023 and a 2-1 win at Montreal in July 2022.
- Sporting forward Alan Pulido has five goals in five regular season appearances against Vancouver. His five goals are the most ever by a Kansas City player against Vancouver and the most by any player in the head-to-head series.
- Sporting forward Johnny Russell has six goal contributions (four goals and two assists) in 10 regular season appearances against Vancouver.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has five goal contributions (three goals and two assists) in 10 regular season appearances against Vancouver.
- Sporting midfielder Memo Rodriguez has three goals and one assist in just 266 regular season minutes against Vancouver, all as a member of Houston Dynamo FC. His three goals against Vancouver are tied for his most against any MLS opponent (FC Dallas).
- Sporting midfielder Erik Thommy has scored or assisted in each of his two previous regular season appearances against Vancouver (one goal, one assist).
- Vancouver midfielder Ryan Gauld has four goals in five regular season appearances against Sporting. His four goals are tied for the most ever by a Vancouver player against Kansas City.
- Vancouver midfielder Damir Kreilach has seven goal contributions (two goals and five assists) in 10 regular season appearances against Sporting, all as a member of Real Salt Lake.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2024 MLS record: 6-13-5, 23 points (12th in West | 39 GF, 49 GA)
- 2024 MLS away record: 2-8-2 (14 GF, 24 GA)
- Last five matches: 3-2-0 (L-W-L-W-W)
- With victories on July 7, 10 and 13, Sporting has won three competitive matches in a seven-day stretch for the first time in club history.
- With a 2-1 victory at the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, Sporting snapped a club-record streak of eight straight regular season road losses in regulation that began on April 27.
- Sporting ranks seventh in MLS in non-penalty goals (39) and eighth in non-PK goals per match (1.62).
- Sporting’s 1.62 goals per match during the 2024 regular season are the club’s fourth most since the Peter Vermes era began in 2009 (SKC had more goals per match in 2018, 2020 and 2021).
- Sporting leads MLS with 11 goals from outside the box, three more than any othe team.
- Sporting has gone 18 straight matches without a draw in all competitions, tied for the second longest streak in club history. Sporting’s most recent draw was a 3-3 home result against St. Louis on April 20.
- Sporting is nearing the end of a stretch that will see the team play seven matches in 22 days between June 29 and July 20.
- Sporting leads MLS with 15 different goal scorers during the 2024 regular season.
- Sporting has fielded 19 different starting lineups in its last 19 matches across all competitions. Sporting has utilized 23 different starting lineups in 27 total matches this season.
- Midfielder Erik Thommy scored Sporting’s opening goal in Saturday’s 2-1 road win over the San Jose Earthquakes. He is tied for second on the team with five goals this season in all competitions (all coming in the regular season).
- Forward Alan Pulido scored Sporting’s winning goal in Saturday’s match against San Jose. He is tied for second on the team alongside Thommy with five goals this season in all competitions (four in MLS, one in the Open Cup).
- Midfielder Nemanja Radoja assisted both of Sporting’s goals in Saturday’s win over San Jose, recording the second multi-assist game of his MLS career (both against the Earthquakes). Radoja leads Sporting in starts (25) and minutes played (2,183) this season in all competitions.
- Forward Willy Agada leads Sporting with eight goals this season in all competitions, all of which have come at home. He has scored 16 goals in 16 regular season starts at Children’s Mercy Park since debuting for the club in July 2022.
- Agada leads MLS in non-penalty expected goals per 90 minutes (0.70) while ranking second in expected goals per 90 minutes (0.77) and fourth in shots per 90 minutes (4.88).
- Forward Johnny Russell has seven goal contributions (four goals, three assists) in his last nine MLS starts since May 18, including an assist in Saturday’s 2-1 win at San Jose.
- Midfielder Memo Rodriguez leads Sporting with six assists this season.
- Defender Tim Leibold has scored or assisted in three of his last four MLS appearances. He was the only field player to start in each of Sporting’s last three wins in all competitions.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- 2024 MLS record: 10-7-5, 35 points (6th in West | 38 GF, 30 GA)
- 2024 MLS home record: 4-3-2 (17 GF, 14 GA)
- Last five matches: 3-1-1 (L-W-T-W-W)
- Vancouver is the only Western Conference team with more away wins (six) than home wins (four) during the 2024 regular season.
- Similarly, Vancouver is the only Western Conference team with a greater road goal differential (+5) than home goal differential (+3).
- Vancouver’s 21 road goals are the most in the Western Conference.
- Vancouver has gone 12 straight regular season matches without a clean sheet since earning a 0-0 home draw against Austin FC on May 4.
- Vancouver has scored 12 goals in its last four MLS matches since June 29, going 3-0-1 during that stretch.
- Vancouver has outscored opponents 16-8 after the 60th minute this season. The Whitecaps have an even goal differential through the 60th minute (22-22).
- Vancouver is 9-1-2 when scoring first and 1-6-2 when conceding first during the 2024 regular season. The Whitecaps are 6-1-2 when leading at halftime and 1-5-1 when trailing at halftime.
- Vancouver ranks second in MLS with 12.9 clearances per match.
- Vancouver has an average shot distance of 15.8 yards this season, the shortest in MLS.
- Vancouver leads MLS with 67 crosses into the penalty area.
- Forward Brian White is tied for fourth in MLS with 12 goals, including seven goals in his last four matches since June 29. White scored a hat-trick in a 4-3 home win over St. Louis on June 29 and a brace in a 4-1 road win over St. Louis on Saturday.
- White’s four-match goal scoring run since June 29 is tied for the longest active streak in MLS.
- Midfielder Ryan Gauld has nine goals and a team-best nine assists this season. He is one of eight MLS players with at least nine goals and nine assists in 2024.
- Gauld ranks second in MLS with 64 key passes and is the only Vancouver field player to start in all 22 regular season matches this year.
- Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka has played every minute of the 2024 regular season. He is one of nine goalkeepers with at least 10 league wins this season.
- Defender Ranko Veselinovic ranks second in MLS with 104 clearances this season.
Milestones and Miscellany
- With victories on July 7, 10 and 13, Sporting has won three competitive matches in a seven-day stretch for the first time in club history.
- Forward Johnny Russell has 99 career goal contributions (60 goals, 39 assists) in the regular season. He is one shy of joining Preki (169) and Graham Zusi (105) as the only Kansas City players to eclipse 100 goal contributions for the club in regular season play.
- Forward Daniel Salloi is one shy of his 200th regular season appearance for Sporting.
- Salloi has 99 goal contributions (59 goals, 40 assists) for Sporting in all competitions, fourth most in club history.
- Forward Alan Pulido has 35 goals for Sporting in all competitions, tied with Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi for ninth in club history and six behind Kei Kamara in eighth.
- Forward Willy is one shy of his 50th regular season appearance for Sporting.
- Midfielder Memo Rodriguez is one shy of his 250th professional club appearance.
